Almost every home in the Camp Osbourn section of Brick Township washed away or burned during Hurricane Sandy. Still, 100 days later, much debris still needs to be carted away.Andy Mills/The Star-Ledger

Ocean County freeholders today are expected to reject a plan under which the county would pay to cover the cost of demolishing homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy and carting away the debris.

For the nine towns that would have participated, it means they’ll have pony up nearly $3 million for the work and navigate the tangle of federal bureaucracy to be reimbursed. The possibly 400 homeowners affected will have to wait longer to begin rebuilding while contracts are bid for the work.

Originally, Ocean County had planned to do the work through the state’s emergency contract with AshBritt. However, that contract pertains to public property and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency told the county it would have to seek new bids for jobs on private property.

“I think it’s safe to say it will be the county’s decision that the demolition that is to take place on private property and removal of debris that is on private property, the county will not be involved in that,” Freeholder John Bartlett said.

Although the decision won’t be official until the freeholders vote today, Bartlett and Freeholder Director John Kelly said a poll of members indicates they don’t want to get into the demolition business.

With possibly 400 homes needing to be torn down, the county would have shelled out $2.8 million then would have sought at least 75 percent reimbursement from FEMA’s Personal Property Debris Removal Program. Now, each town will have to first pay the tab for its own demolitions and then apply directly to FEMA for reimbursement.

Towns will have to absorb what FEMA doesn’t cover because the federal agency prohibits towns from billing individual homeowners for the remainder.

Ocean County Administrator Carl Block said the towns would have saved money by piggy-backing onto the county’s AAA bond rating and by being part of one large contract.

Bartlett, who was freeholder director when Sandy hit, defended the move saying local officials are in the best position to determine the needs of their residents.

Based on those needs, local officials had already told FEMA their towns intended to participate in the program. Homeowners, in order to qualify for the program must meet 19 requirements, including submitting to FEMA a copy of their homeowners and flood insurance policies. They also have to sign a right of entry, giving FEMA inspectors permission to go onto the property to determine the level of damage. Only homes structurally unsound that pose a threat to public health and safety can be considered for the demolition program.

Block said seven towns – Barnegat, Beach Haven, Brick, Mantoloking, Stafford and Toms River – asked to be in the program for demolition, private property debris removal and commercial debris removal from private property. Lavallette and Long Beach Township asked to participate for debris removal only, he said.

He estimated there could be as many as 400 homes demolished under this program at a cost of up to $7,000 per home.

A good portion of those homes are in Mantoloking, where borough spokesman Chris Nelson said FEMA inspectors have already been assessing properties for the program.
Nelson said the town is grateful for the assistance the county has provided so far, but without the county’s help at this stage, the demolition process will take “a little bit longer.”

“It’s amazing how complicated it is to demolish a house,” he said.

Noting towns in New York have already started demolishing unsafe structures, Brick Mayor Stephen Acropolis said he had hoped New Jersey was a little further along.

He said he’s “not necessarily disappointed” with the freeholders’ decision.

“From my point of view, the towns do know how to do it,” Acropolis said. “When you’re dealing with town issues, nobody knows how to do it better than the towns.”